Seven Writers Are Now at Work on ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’

Pitting Godzilla against King Kong, something that has already happened once before in movie history, may sound like a simple matter. But no, you can’t just write “Godzilla vs. Kong” on a blank piece of paper and expect it to happen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Legendary has recruited no less than seven screenwriters and assigned them to the task of turning their parallel Godzilla and Kong franchises into a singular cinematic universe.

The groundwork has already been played in 2014’s Godzilla and this week’s Kong: Skull Island, which both feature the activities of a mysterious organization known as Monarch. But there are still narrative hurdles to clear (or knock down with atomic fire breath); namely that Godzilla was set in the present and Kong takes place during the Vietnam War. Bringing that furry monster into conflict with the nuclear dino will be the responsibility of fleet of men and women led by Terry Rossio, one of the co-writers of the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Joining him will be Star Trek Beyond’s Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, Lindsey Beer, Cat Vasko, T.S. Nowlin, and J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of Babylon 5 and co-creator of Sense8.

Before we see Godzilla vs. Kong we’ll get a solo Godzilla sequel (supposedly titled Godzilla: King of the Monsters), starring Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, and Millie Bobby Brown (and Godzilla). That’s supposed to lumber into theaters in the summer of 2019, with this mega-crossover to follow the following year in 2020. And at least seven people will have contributed to its story, although who knows how many more writers they’ll hire to pitch in over the next three years.